Groundbreaking Agreement Between Barnard College and The Jewish Theological Seminary Expands Access to Jewish Studies
Barnard students will be able to take JTS classes for credit toward their degrees at no additional cost
July 7, 2025: New York – Barnard College and The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) enter a new and innovative partnership that permits all Barnard students to take JTS courses starting this fall. The JTS courses will count toward Barnard degree requirements, and students can participate with no additional tuition costs. The new initiative expands access beyond the existing dual degree program to make JTS courses accessible to all Barnard students.
As part of Barnard’s ongoing commitment to academic excellence and expanding course offerings to broaden student perspectives, full-time Barnard students will have access to JTS’s world-renowned faculty and expansive Jewish studies curriculum. This partnership seamlessly integrates Jewish history, philosophy, literature, and religious studies into their available course offerings. The courses include, but are not limited to:
- Women and Biblical Law: Explores gender and legal traditions in ancient Jewish sources
- Rainmakers, Rogues, and Revolutionaries: Intro to Rabbinic Narrative: Surveys characterizations of the early sages from the Tannaitic collections through to the Babylonian Talmud
- Historical Critical Methodologies: Evaluates various scholarly approaches to biblical texts
- Jews of Renaissance Italy: Investigates the cultural and intellectual history of Jewish communities during the Italian Renaissance
- Philosophizing from the Margins: Assesses how the exclusion of women from centers of Jewish ritual, cultural, and intellectual life has been challenged
“This partnership enhances the educational opportunities for students and strengthens the already powerful bonds between our institutions and the broader Jewish community,” said Barnard College Provost Rebecca L. Walkowitz. “This growing relationship will provide Barnard students with unprecedented access to one of the preeminent Jewish studies institutions in the world.”
“I am delighted that JTS and Barnard have established this important partnership. The premier double degree program between Barnard and JTS has a distinguished history, with outstanding alumni who have made tremendous contributions to American Jewish life, as rabbis, institutional leaders, physicians, attorneys, and more,” said JTS Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz. “We are excited to welcome Barnard students and to provide them with access to a deeper Jewish studies experience and the expertise and scholarship of our renowned faculty. I look forward to further strengthening the powerful, enduring partnership between our schools.”
“This new opportunity reflects JTS’s commitment to expanding access to our rich academic offerings,” said JTS Provost Jeffrey Kress. “At a time when meaningful Jewish studies scholarship is more important than ever, we’re delighted to make it available to all who seek it and are especially pleased that Barnard students can now earn credit for their studies. Students who are interested in further advancing their pursuit of Jewish studies will also be encouraged to apply to the double degree program.”
“JTS is only a few blocks away from Barnard, but until now, it has been out of reach for Barnard students who want to take a class there,” said Beth Berkowitz, Barnard College Professor and Ingeborg Rennert Chair of Jewish Studies. “I’m thrilled that Barnard students will now be able to take advantage of all the great course offerings at JTS and get to know their Jewish Studies faculty. The double degree program between Barnard and JTS has a long and proud history, and the new registration option will further strengthen the rich relationship between these two Morningside Heights institutions.”
You can read more about this partnership in eJewish Philanthropy.
